The metal curtain has been lowered one last time, and will not rise again. As advertised on France Bleu Occitanie At the beginning of September, the Basso-Cambo Casino closed its doors permanently, Saturday October 5 at 7 p.m. The hypermarket located in the Mirail district, southwest of Toulouse, had been open since 1970 but could not continue its activity due to lack of a buyer. In fact, the Basso-Cambo brand does not appear among the stores likely to be taken over by Auchan and Intermarché (the Mousquetaires group).
Totally empty shelves
Abdallah came to do his last shopping before the casino finally closed, obviously with a touch of nostalgia. “I knew this store in 1972, I was seven years old, remembers the man, now 59 years old. I was speaking with one of the old cashiers who started working here in 1980. With this closure, she is retiring. But the others? It’s really a shame for them.” On this last day of opening, Abdallah and the other customers did not really get a good deal, in shelves that were completely empty of merchandise, or almost.
Victor, supervisor in the fresh produce section, is inevitably affected by this closure. He had worked in the Basso-Cambo Casino for 19 years. “We remain smiling, puts the employee into perspective. In fact, the entire staff is there, gathered one last time. I’m leaving something that was very close to my heart. It’s heartbreaking because beyond being a brand, it’s still my family. I spent 19 years here, I clung to this brand.”
A unclear future for employees
The next weeks and months remain very unclear for Victor and the 56 other employees of the hypermarket. “We are not decision-makers, we endure and then we will try to move forward. For the moment, Casino has put in place the means to help us reclassify ourselves with specific reclassification firms. So they’re not letting us down, they’re still behind us, we’re already going to try to refocus, then we’re going to see what happens next, I’m not worried, I’m still young. “
For his part, Orane had worked at the Basso-Cambo Casino for four years, on a student contract. “We still had a good teamregrets the young woman. There was a lot of good humor, a lot of good understanding. But honestly, it’s more for the residents here that I find it problematic, for all the people who live in the buildings here, the elderly who don’t have a car, who don’t have anyone to take them, who can’t get around, who can’t take the metro, I find that really problematic for them.”
Concern for other businesses in the area
With the Casino hypermarket, the largest business in the Mirail district is disappearing. So residents will have to turn to other solutions. But the situation is also cause for concern for other small businesses, which are located very close to the brand. Roger, 74, is particularly worried. “I had my business just outside the Casino, a pizza truck that has been there for almost 50 years. My daughter currently operates it, but I don’t know what it will become since everything will close . For her, it’s hypothetical.” The small businesses located in the entrance to the shopping mall remain open despite the closure of the Casino.
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